Winemaker Notes
Ochoa Reserva is a tribute to Adriano Ochoa Luna, fourth generation of the family. We dedicate one of their best wines to him. Innovative, elegant and made with patience to listen to nature and to select the best from it. This wine is the result of exhaustive selection of grapes in the vineyard, that will age in American and French oak barrels for a long year, and a minimum of 3 years in bottle until it becomes Ochoa Reserva. The pace of modern living often has us dashing around. But Nature is its own timekeeper and some things take time to reach their peak. The Ochoa Reserva is one of them.
Notoriously food-friendly, long-lasting and Spain’s most widely planted grape, Tempranillo is the star variety of red wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. The Rioja terms Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva indicate both barrel and bottle time before release. Traditionally blended in Rioja with Garnacha, plus a bit of Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano, the Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero typically stands alone. Somm Secret—Tempranillo claims many different names depending on location. In Penedès, it is called Ull de Llebre and in Valdepeñas, goes by Cencibel. Known as Tinta Roriz in Portugal, Tempranillo plays an important role in Port wine.
Just north of Spain’s famous Rioja region, Navarra excels in the production of full and fruit-dominant reds and good quality, dry rosés. Garnacha holds most of the land under vine, with Tempranillo coming in second place.